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the earliest you shud ideally start is abt 1 1/2 years. if your child has a perfect poop and pee schedule like if you see that he poops after lunch everyday then u could make him sit on the pot if you like. but according to me anything before 1 1/2 years is more potty training for the mother (to pick up cues and run to the bathroom) rather than for the child... lol.
it takes too much time if you start too soon.. and it could be very frustrating. also if you do start early make sure you dont unnecessary pressure on the child abt it.

I started potty training my oldest at 18 months and she is just now getting the hang of it. She is now 2 1/2 years old. She is 100% out of diapers except for bed time. Don't push it or pressure your little one though because then they won't want to learn to go on their potty. It takes time so just be patient.

When they show signs of being ready. For me with DS he wanted to pee like daddy at about 15 months old so we got him a potty and when he said he had to pee he peed in the potty and we still diapered him until about 18 months when he said he wanted real underwear. He was day trained by 2 years and night trained by 2.5 years. With DD she wanted to try around 19 months old and was day trained 1 month later and night trained by 2 years. We also cloth diapered and I think that had a little something to do with it since they feel wet. I know several people who practice elimination communication and never use diapers and their kids are telling the parents by about 12 months that they have to go. Before that it is the parents reading the childs cues.

I say look for cues, every child is very different. I was 18 months when I was potty trained but like my mom has always told me, my OCD showed even as an infant. Her cues for me was when she would find my dirty and wet diapers hidden around the house. She said once I learned that I didnt need to be in those dirty and wet things, that I could use the potty, i was set. She said the moment she got me a potty chair to my last accident was a week. My brother was about 2.5 years old. My mom said he just didnt care if he was wet or not and he still had accidents here and there for a bit after he was potty trained.